Lifting device



C. J. CARTER LIFTING DEVICE July 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1958 INVENTOR.

CEc'JL .J CARTER AT EHEYS July 26, 1960 c. J'. CARTER 2,9 1

LIFTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 26, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CECIL J. CARTER United States Patent LIFTING DEVICE Cecil J. Carter, E. Cleveland Terrace, Hobart, Ind.

Filed Sept. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 763,641

'3 Claims. (Cl. 294-655) The present invention relates generally to hoisting equipment and in particular to a lifting device for coils of strip steel.

In the handling of strip steel wound in compact coils, it has been customary to employ binding straps for holding the turns or layers of the coils together. The use of such binding straps entails the expense of the straps and labor to attach and detach the same.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lifting device for coils of strip steel which obviates the use of binding straps or other means for securing the layers of thecoils together.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lifting device for steel strip coils which securely support a coil of strip steel when attached to a lifting element without danger of inadvertent dropping of the coil.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lifting device for coils of strip steel which is automatic in operation, one which is readily attached to and detached from a coil of strip steel, one simple in structure, one sturdy in construction, and one which is economically feasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in section of the lifting device according to the present invention shown assembled on but not attached to a coil of strip steel; I

Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the spreading member with the fingers removed, the portion of the plunger adjacent the upper end being broken away;

Figure 5' is an elevational view of a single finger employed in the device of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an elevational view of the spreading memher, with a portion of the upper end of the plunger broken away;

Figure 8 is an exploded view seen from the top of the spreader element and one of the fingers; and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 1, with portions broken away, showing the fingers in gripping engagement with the coil.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the reference numeral 10 designates generally the lifting device of the present invention and which comprises a horizontally disposed hollow housing or support 12 having a flat underface 14-. The support 12 is circular in shape and has a bore 16 extending through its upper wall 18, centrally thereof, and another bore 20 extending through its lower wall 22, also centrally thereof and in registry with the bore 16, as shown most clearly in Figure 1.

A vertically disposed plunger 24 extends through the bores 16 and 20 and has a portion adjacent the lower end below the support underface 14 and a portion adjacent the other end above the upper wall 18 of the support 12.

The walls of the bores 16 and 20 constitute means mounting the plunger 24 in the support 12 for vertical upward and downward movement.

A spreading member 26 is carried on the lower end of the plunger 24 and a plurality of fingers 28 are arranged about the lower end portion of the plunger 24 and are normally in nesting position against the spreading member 26. The spreading member 26 and the fingers 28 together are conformably shaped to fill and be loosely received within the hollow open center of a coil 30 of strip steel, as shown in Figures i1 and 6.

The upper ends of the fingers 28 are connected to the support lower Wall 22 for movement of the fingers 28 from the nested position to positions away from each other and away from the lower end portion of the plunger 24. This means consists in (Figure 5) a pair of rollers 32 rotatably mounted upon a transversely arranged shaft 34 carried by the upper end of a post 36 which rises from each of the fingers 28. The lower wall 22 of the housing or support 12 is provided with a slot for each of the posts 36 and the rollers 32 engage the upper face of thelower wall 22 adjacent the side edges of the adjacent slot, such slots being designated by the numeral 38 in Figure 9. The inner face of each of the fingers 28 is provided with a dovetailed vertically extending groove 40 in which is received a complementallyshaped projection on each of the four faces of the spreading member 26, such projections being designated by the numerals 42 in Figure 4. The outer face 44 of each finger 28 is rounded, as shown most clearly in Figures 7 and 8, so that when the fingers 28 are in the nested position toward each other and towards the adjacent portion of the plunger 24, the outer surface of the spreading member 26 has its edges merging with the edges of the fingers 28, as shown most clearly in \Figure 7.

'Means is provided on the upper end of the plunger 24 for application thereto of an upwardly directed lifting force. This means is shown in Figure 1 and consists in an inverted U-shaped bail 46 rotatably supported upon a bolt 48 extending throughan appropriately spaced arranged hole provided in the upper end of the plunger 24 Magnet means, embodying an electromagnet 50, extendsabout and is fixedly carried by the support 12 on the upper face of the lower wall 22. An electric cord 52 and plug connector 54 constitute electric conductor means adapted to electrically connect the magnet 50 to a source of electric current.

Spring means is provided by the present invention operatively connected to the plunger 24 for urging the plunger 24 to the downward movement position. This spring means consists in a coil spring 56 superimposed about the intermediate portion of the plunger 24 within the housing or support 12 and having one end bearing against the upper end of the spreading member 26 and having the other end bearing against the bottom of a counterbore 58 extending inwardly of the lower end of an enlarged portion of the upper wall 18 of the support 12.

In use, the device 16 of the present invention is positioned so that the spreading member 26 and the nested fingers 28 are positioned within and are loosely received in the open center of the coil 30 with the underface 14 of the support 12 hearing against and resting upon the top edge of the coil 30. Upon energization of the magnet 50 and the application of an upwardly directed lifting force to the plunger 24, by means of the bail 46 on the'upper end of the plunger 24, the plunger 24 executes its upward movement relative to the support 12 and shifts the spreading member 26 upwardly and the fingers 28 outwardly from the plunger 24 and into gripping and wedging engagement with the inner periph- V Patented July 26,1966

cry of ,the coil.3.0. The magnetSO holdsthesouter. layers.

of the coil 30 from slipping downwardly on the inner layer and secures the coil 30 in a compact package for movement between,processinglocations;

Upon loweringof the coil3 0:toa supportingsurface and ,deenergization of the: magnet 50, the -spring;S6 will force theplunger 24 downwardly within the, support 12. to effect the release of the fingers 28jfrom engagement.

with the inner periphery of the coil, 30 andireturn the fingers 28 to the nested position about the spreading member 26.

Preferably, the lower wall, 22 of the;support 12, se-.

cured to the upper wall 18 by meansgof cap screws. 60;.

is of magnetic material or magnetically permeablematerial enabling the lines of force from the magnet 56 to attract the coil 30 into abutting engagement against the underface 14 of the support 12. The magnet 50 is of conventional construction employinga, plurality of turns of magnet wire connected in circuit with the wires of the electric cord 52.

What is claimed is:

1. A lifting device for hoisting anupstanding; coil of' plunger in said support for vertical upward and down-.

ward movement, a spreading member on the lowerend of said plunger, a plurality of fingers arranged about the lower end portion of said plunger and normally nesting against said spreading member, the upper ends of said.

fingers being connected to said support for movement of the fingers from the nested position to positions away from each other and fromsaid plunger lower endportion, and means on the upper end ofsaid plunger for application thereto of an upwardly directed lifting force, said plunger upon application of anupwardly directed lifting force to said plunger upper end means executing its upward movement and shifting said spreading member into wedging engagement between, said fingers and cause said fingers to execute their movement away fromeach other.

2. A lifting device for hoisting an upstanding coil. of magnetically attractive metal strip, comprising a horizon tally disposed support having a fiat underface, magnet means extending about and fixedly carried by said support and adapted to hold the underface of said support against the top end of said coil when mounted on said coil, a vertically disposed plunger extending through said,

support and having a portion adjacent the lower end below said support and having a portion adjacent the upper end above said support, means mounting said plunger in said support for vertical upward and down- 4. wardlmovement, spring means operatively connected to said plunger for urging the latter to the downward movement position, a spreading member on the lower end of said plunger, a plurality of fingers arranged about the lower end portion of said plunger and normally nesting against the upper ends of said fingers being connected to said support for movementlof the fingers from the nested position to positions away from each other and from said plunger lower end portion, and means on the upper end of said plunger for application thereto of an upwardly directed'lifting force, said plunger upon application of an upwardly directed lifting force to said plunger upper end means executing its upward movement and shifting said spreading member into wedging engagement between said fingers and cause said fingers to execute their movement away from each other and said plunger upon release of said lifting force to said plunger upper end means executing its downward movement under the action of said spring means and returning said fingers to the nested position about said spreading member.

3. A lifting device for hoisting an upstandingcoil of magnetically attractive metal strip, comprising a horizontally disposed support having a flat underface, an electric magnet extending about and fixedly carried by said support and adapted to hold the underface of said support against the top end of said coil when mounted on said coil, a vertically disposed plunger extending through said support and having a portion adjacent the lower end below said support and having. a portion adjacent the upper end above said support, means mounting said plunger in said support for vertical upward and downward movement, spring means operatively connected to said plunger for urging the latter to the downward movement position, a spreading member on the lower end of said plunger, a plurality of fingers arranged about the lower end portion of said plunger and normally nesting against said spreading member, the upper ends of said fingers being connected to said support for movement of the fingers from the nested position to positions away from each other and from said plunger lower end portion, means on the upper end of said plunger for applicationsthereto.offanupwardly directed lifting force, and conduit means adapted to electrically connect said magnet to' a source of said plunger upon application of an upwardly directed lifting force to said plunger upper end means executing its upward movement and shifting said spreading member into wedging engagement between said fingers and cause said fingers to execute their movement away from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 204,878 Bole June 18, 1878 1,474,886 Boyce Nov. 20, 1923 1,489,705 Leonard Apr. 8, 1924 2,803,489 Zito et al. Aug. 20, 1957 A t A 

